3.25.2015

I have birds on the brain...maybe because of spring...probably because I've always had a soft spot for them...and when I see some fabulous bird prints, I go weak in the knees...I saw these Morris bird prints on Rhubarb Reign's Facebook page...I was smitten...a back and forth exchange ensued...soon my package arrived...8 bird prints were mine.I had a bit of fun using the prints as photography props...they are quite wonderful...hand colored...with just the right amount of vintage wear...

I decided though that I wanted to share...so six of these prints will be available at my booth at the Vintage Market this coming Saturday. I decided to keep the presentation simple...I had a stack of white mat frames...and a slew of clipboards...I embellished one corner of each mat with a combination of paper ephemera and washi tape, added a little flourish to the top of the clipboard and called it done...

Easy to hang as is...or one could do a proper mat and frame of the print...I attached the print to the mat board with nothing more than two small pieces of tape so as to leave the prints relatively clean.

Wishing the photos were clearer...that's the downside of the PNW...we've had a mild winter and spring...but the sun doesn't always shine...makes photography a challenge...and when I saw how grainy these pics looked, the birds were already packed for the show...you'll just have to stop by my booth and see them for yourself...let me know that you read about them on my blog...I'll have a surprise for you...

3.20.2015

As I started in my last post, I was at a loss for a creative spark...naked plaster of paris eggs...sat in a carton in my studio the last two years...

but then I was brilliantly inspired...and went to work...Using my trusty bristle brush, I glued delicate feathers onto the eggs...being careful to gently keep each strand smooth and not become a gloppy mess...

I also experimented with a little tissue paper; knowing that the tissue would be light and translucent as it dried...and a bit of french ephemera...because really, isn't everything a little better with a bit of french flair?After the glue was dry, a little light sanding and a tiny bit of wax...and finally a springtime vignette...

the contrast of the dark feather against the white plaster brings out all the details...

and highlights how delicate each feather is.

I like how this egg with the tissue paper layer resembles brown transferware ironstone.

3.18.2015

Do you ever have a project that you get stuck on...you get so far and then inspiration runs out...disappears...adios...As indicated from my last post, this does happen to me...but I seem to be on a streak lately of picking up old projects and finishing them...the power of a deadline!This time, the inspiration came from a fellow online artist...Dutch Barb...who is a member of my bestill52 online class...when I saw one of her recent posts, I had a eureka moment...and was motivated to action...

Two years ago I made some plaster of paris eggs...I hollowed out a couple of eggshells...very carefully...filled them with plaster of paris...very carefully...and then set them to dry for several days. I had half of a shell that I coated with plaster of paris on the inside...hoping to get an empty shell to fill with something later. After the plaster was completely dry, I removed the outer shell and I had eggs...after a little sanding to smooth out the edges...but now what...When I sawBarb's photo on Flickr, I knew that this was the inspiration I was looking for...I went to work...gathering materials...

The eggs...

The feathers...

The glue...

I knew that I was on the right track because I had all my familiar tools...glue, water, scissors, brush...plus the added beauty of feathers...I was set to go...

3.17.2015

seems lately that I have been obsessed with birds...more than usual...perhaps because it is spring and I welcome their increased activity...In any case, I have several bird inspired projects I thought I would share over the next couple of days...

Today's is a quick one...I had a couple of wooden boards that I had collaged years ago and then never finished...the first background layer was a page from an old art book; the second layer is the top ply of a paper napkin...one of my favorite collage layering techniques since the single ply of the napkin is so sheer, you see the underneath layer. A snippet from an old dictionary was added...and then it sat...Getting ready for a show always motivates me to action...in this case, I pulled out these two boards, attached a Cavallini bird tag, added a few more words and finished off with a ribbon hanger...

3.13.2015

After my obsession with string...thread comes in a close second...it must be a fiber thing...though I have to admit that I have little affinity for yarn...

I have plenty of wooden spools of thread...in an array of colors and tones...I've had these large cones for some time...I think they were my mom's...she did a lot of sewing in her time...she had an elaborate system of eye-hooks and dowels rigged up so she could use these larger spools with her old Singer machine...she worked in the costume department of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater when I was young...I think she acquired the large cones of thread then...In any event, I have no Rube Goldberg system for use with my machine...so I've been thinking what to do with them...and suddenly I had the eureka moment...displaying photos or notes!

I gathered up supplies...pretty simple...a wine cork and a display pin for each...wine corks were easy to find...the pins were in my stash...

I figured that I would push the wine cork up into the top of the cone and then stick the display pin into the cork...since the cone is pointed, I trimmed the end of each cork so that it would fit as close as possible into the top...after I trimmed off the excess cork, I added a thin layer of adhesive to the outside of the cork (Amazing Goop being my adhesive of choice) and pushed it into the nose of the cone...I used a large metal nail setter and a hammer to persuade the cork to fit as tight and snug as possible...and then I stuck in the display pin...Finished!

The easiest solutions are often the best. With my large collection of sewing paraphernalia, these two cones fit right in...and make me smile...

3.10.2015

It begins with the sprouts of green among the dead leaves and withered grass from last fall...and then those first pops of color...little beads of purple...the grape hyacinths are blooming...

and then the light of day changes...it becomes brighter...and lingers longer...The assignment for this week's bestill52 class was to capture this lightness...using elements of white and glass...my collection of small glass bottles put to perfect use, complemented by a swath of white linen and lovely afternoon light...

both photos edited with kk texture hughes

This spring awakening inspired me to clear out the dust and the cobwebs and to brighten the dark corners of the house...

3.05.2015

Recently I learned of an online creative community that was new to me...The Woven Tale Press.

It is a community of artisans - writers, photographers, artists, brought together by a diverse editorial group who offer a "collection of eclectic culling of the creative web". In addition to regular artist posts, they publish a monthly e-magazine "to highlight the blog post otherwise buried in a blogger's archives; the painting or photograph from an artist's site worthy of greater focus than its singular web page; the innovative, the funny, the offbeat." The March issue was just released...and I'm pleased to have two of my digital collages featured.I am in excellent company in this issue...my artistic friend David Hayes of Clearer Reflections has a multi-page spread of his incredible photographic stills...I hope that you will check it out...and discover a few gems for yourself...to view the entire issue, click hereand to visit The Woven Tale Press website,click here

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